July Issue of Levin & Perconti’s “Client Tell” Newsletter Available

Each Illinois nursing home neglect attorney at our firm is proud to work each and every day on behalf of those hurt by the misconduct of others in our community. Unfortunately, many residents face unimaginable loss and heartache as a result of others failure to act reasonably. That includes caregivers in a nursing homes, doctors and nursing in hospitals, and travelers on area roadways.

This latest edition of our monthly newsletter–found here–includes stories about various issues facing local residents and recent cases on which our team has worked. For example, the newsletter includes discussion of a pair of cases filed against ManorCare Health Services in South Holland. The cases are a testament to the significant harm that results from Illinois nursing home neglect when these facilities are understaffed.

One case ended with the family being given $1 million following a death and a second was settled for $750,000. In both cases the residents developed severe pressure sores at the home. As blog readers know, pressure sores are one of the most common preventable injuries caused by neglect at long-term care facilities.

Investigations into these cases revealed shocking information about the poor quality of care at the home. For example, our Illinois nursing home neglect attorney Steve Levin explained that one former employee “told us the home was understaffed, and that the wound care nurse was a drug addict who used drugs during the workday. She told us that staff members were not instructed to complain to the Illinois Department of Public Health.”

It should go without saying that this sort of caregiving is entirely unacceptable. As a result of the neglect the residents here were not properly repositioned and often left lying in their own waste. They then developed the painful sores which went without proper treatment.

There is simply no excuse for this sort of conduct. These facilities have to be held accountable so that practices change and future residents are spared similar suffering. Fortunately, the families in this case came forward and redress was demanded.

Not only did the understaffing result in poor wound care, but it also led to shoddy (or downright deceitful record-keeping). For example, in one of the cases from ManorCare, the resident’s chart indicated that care was provided on a day when the resident was not even in the home. This could only have been caused by outright falsification or such sloppy work that data was entered on incorrect days. No matter what the case, these sorts of actions are obviously below a reasonable standard of care.

As much as we’d like to wish this facility is one-of-a-kind, the fact remains that many nursing home in our area fail to provide proper care to those who depend on them. In many cases it is not because of any inherent problems with caregivers but simply the fact that facilities seek to maximize profits by cutting staff to the bone. Residents are the ones who suffer from this understaffing. Our Chicago nursing home lawyers urge family members to keep a close eye on the care received by their loved ones so that problems are caught as soon as possible.

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Disclaimer

The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.